A former DStv Premiership manager now appears to have been thrown into the conversation for the vacant Zimbabwe national team job.
The Zim national team helm is in limbo, as it remains unclear who will take charge of the side after their most recent manager Baltemar Brito's contract came to an end on 31 December 2023.
This came just three months after he was appointed by the Zimbabwe Football Federation (ZIFA) Normalisation Committee, leaving his club job with local giants Highlanders FC.
It is believed that the former Chelsea assistant coach had work permit issues, thus leaving ZIFA with no choice but to hand him a short-term deal that ran concurrently with the one he had with the Bulawayo club - who also have since decided not to renew his deal into the new year.
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According to Soccer24, it is becoming increasingly clear that Brito will not retain his job with The Warriors and the federation could now be forced to consider other options.
Former SuperSport United manager Kaitano Tembo's name has now been raised as a potential candidate for the role.
This comes just weeks after he was sacked by Richards Bay on Christmas Day following a spell of just five wins, four draws, and 10 defeats in 19 games in charge of the KwaZulu-Natal outfit.
Reports in Zimbabwe suggest that retaining Brito on a long-term contract is a complex task, as the Normalisation Committee's tenure ends in six months and giving the former assistant to Jose Mourinho a lengthy deal would force the next regime to stick with the manager regardless of their feelings towards the coach.
This would be in addition to the costs around his work permit and Soccer24 reports that the NC are tempted to resort to a local coach.
In the event that Tembo is appointed, he will become the first Zimbabwean coach to lead the Warriors since Norman Mapeza in 2022. It is noted that Tembo has no internnational managerial experience but could be a gamble worth taking.
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